Pride & Prejudice in the Galaxy
by Yougottaeatdembeanz
Summary: If Kylo Ren and Rey's relationship was like Mr. Darcy and Lizzie's! The proposals were the main point of writing this story, so if you want to read just those, turn to chapters 3 (titled Mr. Darcy's First Proposal) & 8 (titled Darcy's Second Proposal. Feel free to steal the idea and make your own version!
1. Introduction

Disclaimer:

\- Sometimes out of character behavior, to make it fit with the Pride and Prejudice storyline.

\- Absolutely not canon. Sorry if this bugs you, but it was impossible for me to follow the real storyline and the PP storyline. Feel free to steal the idea and make your own version!

\- Most of the story is a little random, to make the two proposals work a little better. The proposals were the main point of writing this story, so if you want to read just those, turn to chapters 3 (titled Mr. Darcy's First Proposal) 8 (titled Darcy's Second Proposal)

Sorry for any confusion...


	2. Mr Collins's Proposal

Finn coughed, arresting the attention of everyone in the cramped dining hall. "Rey, can I talk to you?"

"Sure," Rey said, looking at him expectantly.

Shifting his weight to his other foot, Finn specified, "alone?"

After a moment in which Rose, Rey's best friend at the Rebel base, looked at Rey with a look that ordered her to listen to Finn, Rey answered, "Ok."

Walking the halls had never felt so uncomfortable. Rey couldn't imagine what Finn wanted to say to her, but he seemed in no hurry to say it.

At the end of the next hallway, Finn stopped her. "You must know what I want to say to you," he said, holding out a purple flower he had gotten from who-knows-where on the salt planet.

Realisation began to creep into Rey's mind, but she didn't want to acknowledge the possibility of what she was thinking, so she remained silent.

"Almost from the moment I set eyes on you, I thought, 'now there's a girl I'd like to have at my back,'" Finn smiled, a tad awkwardly. "I think I should tell you why I'm asking you to be my girlfriend. First of all, storm troopers can't have girlfriends, and once I escaped, I thought it would be nice to have one. Secondly, when I saw your resourcefulness and love of justice, I thought, 'she's the one!' And finally, when we're together--"

"Wait," said Rey, who had finally gathered her senses. "You forget, I haven't said yes yet! I'm sorry Finn. You're a lovely friend, but I just... I'm not interested in... Um, courtship right now."

Finn nodded. "I have heard that girls sometimes refuse the man they really like, to see if he's truly interested in pursuing them. You're testing me, aren't you?"

"No! I'm not the kind of girl who would torment a poor guy just to see how worthy he is! Believe me, I mean what I say. I don't think a relationship would work very well, anyway. I'm sorry, Finn."

At that moment, Rose rounded the corner. Desperately failing at hiding the fact that she'd been listening, she stopped when she reached them. "Oh, hello, guys! I was just looking for you, Rey. Um, Poe wants to see you. About BB-8!"

Rey started to follow Rose. "See you around, Finn?"

"Yeah, sure."


	3. Mr Collins and Charlotte

About a week later, Rose knocked on Rey's door. As she came in, she laughed. "You will not believe this!"

Rey, who had been trying to ignore Kylo Ren's form drinking tea in the corner of her room, was glad for the distraction. "What?"

"You know how Finn asked you to be his girlfriend last week?"

Kylo choked, and Rey glanced at him. Rose, who couldn't see or hear him, waited on Rey's answer.

"You're going out with FN-2187." Having regained his composure, Kylo stated this with a voice of authority and calm which riled Rey up.

"No," she spat.

Rose looked taken aback. "You don't?"

"No, I'm sorry," Rey turned back to Rose. "Sorry, I was finishing a thought I had before you came in. I remember."

Apparently too preoccupied with her own news to take offense at Rey's tone, Rose went on. "Well, after that, I thought he started paying attention to me. Which was a weird thought, so I just assumed it was wishful thi-- ah, I mean, you know, me being vain. But today, Finn asked me out! He wants us to take our lunch somewhere nice together and talk. It'll be my first date!" Rose giggled.

"I didn't know you liked Finn!"

"Only since I heard the story of his daring escape! He's so awesome!"

"Well, I'm glad you two are happy," Rey said. "It is a little weird that he moved on so quickly, but I'm glad. I didn't want him breaking his heart over me."

"I have to go get ready for lunch!" Rose said, still too distracted to pay very much attention to what Rey was saying. "Bye!"

After the door shut behind Rose, Rey relaxed into her bunk with a grumble.

"Jealous?" Kylo's voice broke into her thoughts.

"No." She turned her back on him.

"Hey, don't be ashamed. Anyone would be a bit jealous. I mean, he moved on so fast."

"Do shut up."

"You know, I think Rose will make a great match for FN-2187."

"His name's Finn. And if you had any manners, you wouldn't be bothering a girl when she's trying to get some peace and quiet. Do you enjoy being rude?"

"My lack of social skills goes with the Dark side persona rather well, I think," replied Kylo Ren. "I don't have the skill some people have of talking to people outside an authority position"

"Or a pupil's position," Rey commented.

"Yes," Kylo said. "I was a student once."

Then the Force Bond flickered out.


	4. The Force Bond (not chapter 3)

At this point in the story, it may be useful to know some of the details of the Force Bond in the Pride and Prejudice au. While in some ways it is rather like the Canon Force Bond, in other ways it is dissimilar.

Rey and Kylo Ren have no control over when the Force Bond will occur. During the first few episodes of their connection, Rey spent most of the time angry at Kylo Ren, while Kylo Ren was trying to figure out how it worked. After a while, the two decided to try to ignore each other during the connections. For Kylo Ren, this was easier, because he could not see Rey's surroundings; it was as if she was wherever he was. For Rey, on the other hand, it was more difficult, as she could see Kylo's surroundings, and it sometimes felt as if she were really aboard his destroyer. However, after a while, Rey discovered that she could use the Force to change how the Force Bond looked, though she could not end it. With practice, she was able to make it so, in her eyes, Kylo appeared to be wherever she was. In this way, they could each focus on the place they were at: Rey would simply be in the background of Kylo's life, and vice versa. The people around Kylo could not see or hear Rey, and the people around Rey could not see or hear Kylo.

End of small digression


	5. Mr Darcy's First Proposal

A while later, Rey was visiting Chewbacca aboard the Millinium Falcon. he had landed on a planet not too far from the Rebel Base to take on supplies. Rey was alone on the ship, playing a game of holographic chess with herself when Kylo Ren appeared before her. Determined to keep up a facade of ignoring him, hard as that was in such close quarters, she did not expect him to address her.

"Rey!" Kylo's voice sounded different than normal, but Rey couldn't quite place what it was.

"Kylo Ren," she replied, keeping her attention on her game.

"Oh."

That was an odd response, but Rey was determined not to cave.

Kylo Ren didn't follow either of his usual practices in these Force Bonds, namely sitting still or carrying on whatever he was doing on his destroyer as if Rey wasn't right next to him. This time, Kylo fidgeted like a nervous job applicant. For a while, he stood, shifting from foot to foot before her. He held his helmet in one hand and traced the silver marks with the other. He tried pacing, which was hard, not being able to see the Millinium Falcon. He pressed a few buttons on the computer behind him on the destroyer, which Rey couldn't see.

Of course, Rey was very purposefully NOT noticing all of this behavior.

"Rey, I've tried to fight this, but it won't work," Kylo said suddenly. His destroyer, with the backdrop of glowing buttons behind him, came into view as Rey turned her focus on Kylo and lost her hold on the Force keeping her on the Millinium Falcon.

"I can't hide these feelings anymore," Kylo continued. "I have to tell you how much I admire you. No, Rey, I love you!"

Rey was astonished to speechlessness.

"I know your history. I know you are nothing, and come from parents who were nobodies and who sold you for money, and that a relationship between us would be difficult under the current circumstances of the galaxy. But under the weight of my feelings for you, none of the many objections seem important. Rey, will you marry me, and we can rule the galaxy together? With the combination of our strengths with the Force, we would be unstoppable!"

After a short moment, Rey gathered her scattered wits and tried to form a coherent answer. "I think that, given the fact that you are a prince and the Supreme Leader, I should thank you for your attentions, but I can't. I never wanted you to propose to me! I hope I don't cause you too much pain when I say that what you ask is impossible. Maybe all the objections you mentioned before will help you recover from... Your feelings."

Kylo Ren went pale with anger. Rey could see him trying to regain control over his features, and knew that he would not speak until he had. A slice of fear shot through her heard when his lightsaber ignited, until she remembered he couldn't hurt her through the bond. Kylo whirled around, and in a frenzy of flashing lightsaber and incoherent shouts, the computer panel behind him was crossed with molten slices.

When Kylo Ren turned his face back to Rey, it was deathly calm. "Is this the answer I am to receive? I might ask why, with so little concern, you refuse me. But it is no matter."

"I may as well ask why you chose to ask me to marry you in such a way! Telling me all the objections you had - my birth, my parents, insulting me in every way! But that is not the only reason I refuse you, you must know! After you killed Han Solo, who was like a father to me! Giving him false hopes and then betraying him! After you betrayed Luke and left him to become a recluse from shame and fear! Reducing one of the greatest Jedi of all time to nothing!"

"You seem to take his side rather impartially!" Kylo's voice rose. "Did he even tell you what happened?"

"Enough! You tried to kill him!"

"So this is what you think of me." Kylo Ren straightened his back, rising to his full imposing height. "As you paint the picture, I am undoubtedly guilty. And yet, if I had not laid out my objections - if I had flattered you, pretending to come to you with all my reason backing my love - but I am not one to pretend feelings that are not my own. I am not ashamed to have felt for you as I did."

"Believe me, Kylo Ren. The objections you laid out did nothing but spare me from feeling sorry that I must decline you. There is no possible way you could have asked me that I would have accepted. You are the last man in the galaxy I would ever marry."

"I understand." Kylo's voice was tight. "I am sorry I took up so much of your time."

With that, the Force Bond ended.


	6. Mr Darcy's Letter

Rey didn't really hate Kylo Ren as much as she let on. She had been holding out hope that he would return to the light ever since she'd met him. She had never once thought he was attracted to her, though! Even the fact that she did think he was handsome and had a few admirable qualities didn't put such an idea into her head. Now that he had proposed to her - - not even just asked her for a date, but marriage! - - she hoped she would never be forced to see him again, or hear from him either.

However, that afternoon she found a letter resting on her pillow. On the front, it read in impeccable handwriting:

Please read this. I won't be renewing my request in it.

\-- Kylo Ren

With a sigh, she picked it up and opened it.

"Rey.

During our last Force bond, you laid before me some accusations which were very heavy. I cannot deny having done either of the things you accused me of, but I hope to shed some light onto the reason I did them.

To answer your second accusation, I must relate to you some areas of my childhood. While it in no way pardons my actions, I hope you will understand how I was driven to what I did, and accept my apology.

When I was small, I was often left in the care of other people at the Rebel Base. My parents had business to attend to in other parts of the galaxy. My mother was a general and spokesperson of the Resistance; my father often went with her, and on his own business trips. Every time my father boarded the Millinium Falcon, I hoped that when he returned, he would want to spend time with his son, that he would want to see me, but he never did. When he sent me to study with Luke, I was finally disillusioned. I knew my parents didn't want me, and never would.

Luke soon discovered how strong I was with the Force. He was excited, and determined that I should take the place once thought to be meant for his father, Anakin Skywalker: to bring balance to the Force. From that moment on, he began to pour all of his energy into training me. He started to slack off on training the other Padawans, but barely noticeably.

I began to feel like Luke wasn't training Ben Solo anymore, but merely building his hopes on my midi-chlorians. Besides this, I felt angry at him for ignoring the other Padawans and forcing me to take the part he wanted me to. Some of the other Padawans felt my anger, too, and Luke must have noticed it. He began to distrust me.

At first I didn't notice, but soon enough it was obvious. As his distrust grew, he began watching me, and soon I could see he began hating me. One night, I woke up to him staring down at me with a crazy look on his face, his lightsaber ignited. I was terrified, because I knew he was about to kill me. Being young and inexperienced, I did the only thing I could think of: try to kill him first. I used the Force to bring the hut down on his head. Then I woke the other Padawans who shared my anger, and we ran.

The first accusation you brought to me also stemmed from this circumstance. When we ran from Luke, Snoke found us and brought us in. He began training us in the ways of the Dark Side, and feeding us lies through the Force. Soon we trusted him for everything, and did his bidding faithfully. I rose to the top, and soon I was one of Snoke's most valued henchmen.

When Snoke asked me to kill Han, that was the first order I didn't blindly trust. Even though I felt so angry at Han, I didn't want to kill him. But Snoke reminded me of how Han had abandoned me over and over, and finally left me in the hands of a lunatic, and I trusted Snoke once again. When I met Han Solo on that bridge, I was in turmoil. Seeing my father's face again, now so old and sad, I almost couldn't kill him. But Snoke was the only one who had ever cared for me, and I knew that to keep his favor, I had to do it. So I did.

I know this doesn't pardon me. I found out later that it didn't even secure Snoke's favor. After I killed Han, everyone I had known to finally care for me, abandoned me. I was no longer much use to Snoke, Admiral Hux no longer pretended to respect me, and even the other Padawans I had brought disappeared from my life. Now all I can do is apologize, and hope that you can forgive me. I don't know what to do now that I am Supreme Leader of the First Order. I'm barely keeping my control over them as it is, and if they found out my resolve was wavering, they would kill me the first chance they got.

I trust you to keep this letter and its contents secret.

\--Kylo Ren.

The handwriting had gotten messier as Rey neared the end of the letter. She knew she couldn't trust it, but this was what she had been hoping for, and she wanted to believe it.


	7. Darcy's Manner Changes

Rey decided to try to see how accurate Kylo Ren's telling of the story of his life had been. She wouldn't be able to ask people directly, so she started practicing indirect questions - - and Force manipulation. She started with Rose, even though she knew Rose knew nothing of Kylo's past, just for practice. While she was talking with Rose, she would try to glean information about how her relationship with Finn was going, how things went in the mechanic's world, and whatever other topics she could find. While they were talking, she would try to pick up feelings and thoughts from Rose's mind, without invading her privacy. This meant paying attention to every facial expression, half finished sentence, and gesture, and using the intuition her strength with the Force gave her to piece it all together into real information.

Every so often, the Force bond would connect, and Rey soon got to be expert at ignoring Kylo, who also ignored her, and staying in her world with him in the background without even trying.

One afternoon, while she was secretly interrogating Rose, Kylo Ren appeared, standing in the back of her room. He was, apparently, also interrogating someone aboard his destroyer. Though Rey, of course, could not see who he was talking to, she heard his questions and saw his gestures. He looked menacing, but for some reason, he didn't threaten to 'take whatever he wanted' as he had done to her. Rey was focused on Rose, though, so she thought little of it.

After a while, Kylo's subject was apparently released, as he sat down on a chair and began watching Rey and Rose. When Rose left, he unexpectedly broke the silence.

"What are you trying to find out from her?"

Unused to Kylo ever speaking anymore, Rey jumped. "Nothing, what do you mean?"

"You're trying to glean information using the Force." A small smile played at his lips as he continued, "and not succeeding very well, right?"

Rey frowned. "I'm just practicing."

"Luke didn't teach you much, did he?"

"I wasn't ready for 'Jedi mind tricks' before he died."

Kylo stopped smiling. "I could give you a few pointers."

"I don't want to learn how to invade someone's privacy. I'm just trying to find a way to use the Force to give me information without forcing someone to give up their whole mind. That's an awful experience."

"Which you've never had," Kylo commented. "You resisted me surprisingly well. But I wouldn't teach you that anyway. I've stopped using that method."

Rey laughed. "What do you mean?"

"You're right about invading others' minds. I don't do it anymore."

"Yeah, right," Rey scoffed.

"Well, whether you believe me or not, I could still give you some tips on how to get a better grip on the Force, how to use your intuition and also, if you want, I could teach you some 'Jedi mind tricks.'"

After a while, Rey answered. "I guess it couldn't hurt for you to tell me a few tips."

Kylo stayed for a while, and Rey was soon much better at using the Force with other people's minds.

"I have a question," Kylo said, after Rey had made as much progress as she could without having a practice subject.

"What?"

"Are you training to be a Jedi? You don't conform to the Jedi code very readily."

Rey looked at him with confusion. "I don't know, isn't that what I was doing with Luke? What do you mean I don't conform to the Jedi code?"

"You were training to be a jedi with Luke, but you never finished, so you're not a Jedi yet. I was wondering if you're planning on finishing. Do you know the Jedi code?"

"Not very well, but I have it in my books."

"Your books?"

"I have the sacred Jedi texts. They have the code written in them."

A look of awe crossed Kylo Ren's face. "You have the actual sacred texts?"

Suddenly realizing that this might not be the best information for the Supreme Leader of the First Order to have, Rey tried to backtrack. "I mean, when I saw them. On Luke's Island. I don't have them! But Luke... Um, gave me a copy of the code. What do you mean I don't conform to it?"

Kylo Ren decided to drop the subject of the sacred texts, though he knew Rey was lying. "Well, you're not supposed to be very emotional. Because most emotions and attachments can lead to the Dark Side."

"Are you calling me emotional?"

Kylo laughed. "No! But you do feel deeply. Like me. You have a lot of hurt in your past, which most Jedi-in-training don't. And the way you fight is like no Jedi I've ever seen!"

"What do you mean?"

"You're so passionate and you'll use whatever you can. The one Jedi-like tendency I see is to be merciful to the unarmed. For which, by the way, I should thank you."

The Force bond quit then, but for once Rey wasn't glad. She was curious. During the conversation, Kylo Ren had seemed patient and friendly. So different from how he'd been every other time she'd seen him. It made her wonder if maybe Kylo was telling the truth in his letter. She really had to try to find out.

Once again, Rey was with Chewie aboard the Millinium Falcon. They were flying through hyperspace when she decided to try to get some information about Ben Solo.

"Hey, Chewie," she said.

He roared.

"I was just wondering..." Rey had a sudden thought, and changed courses. "Do you mind if I practice using the Force with you? I've been learning how to let the Force help my intuition about people. I mean, I'm trying to learn how to get information without invading privacy.

Chewie looked like what she had said made no sense at all. Come to think of it, it didn't. How to get information someone didn't want to share without invading their privacy? Impossible. With that thought, she realised that maybe one of her preconceptions of the Jedi was wrong.

"Never mind, that didn't make sense. Do you know much about the Jedi?"

Having spent a lot of time with Chewie since Han's death, she had gotten pretty good at understanding him, so when he said, "Of course I do, I've spent the last part of my life hanging out with two generations of them!" Rey laughed.

"Right. Anyway, do you know what the Jedi think of invading someone's privacy? I always thought that they were against it, but if they use mind tricks, to make people believe things they really don't or give them information they don't want to give, they must not think it's wrong."

All she got to this question was an order to take such philosophical stuff to General Organa.

Rey took Chewie's advice. General Organa was quite pleased to answer, when she had the time. She had much more time since the Rebel base had moved to the salt planet and she'd begun delegating much more.

"Rey, like many other things in the galaxy, the Force isn't in and of itself good or evil. But put it in the hands of someone who can use it, and it can become good or evil, depending on how it's used. Those on the Dark Side have used the Force for evil. When they force their way into someone's mind, they use the Force for torture and treachery. When those on the light side, like the Jedi, use the Force to manipulate people's minds, it is for the good of all. And while there is a fine line between good and evil, and motive can move the line, usually one can tell if one is using the Force in a manner worthy of the light side, or the Dark Side."

Rey looked at General Organa in confusion. "Do you mean that Jedi can use the Dark side of the Force, and Sith can use the Light side?"

"Mostly it depends on motive, Rey. The Dark side and the light side are not so separate as some like to think. They both are woven throughout history, and throughout the galaxy today. They cannot be separated."

"Then how do you keep from the Dark Side? Couldn't it just sneak up on you while you think you're doing good?"

"It could, and a few Sith have gone Dark in that way. But mostly, if you listen to your conscience, and think about how your actions will affect the people around you and the galaxy as a whole, you will know."

A messenger, who had just arrived, bowed to General Organa. "Commander Poe Dameron wishes to speak with you, General. At your leisure."

"I can come now," General Organa answered. Turning to Rey, she said, "Keep exploring the Force, Rey. The more time you spend with its light side, the easier it will be to tell it apart from the Dark Side. Read the texts. They will help you be more sensitive to the Force."

"Yes, General. Thank you for teaching me," Rey answered.

Returning to her quarters, Rey began to think about what General Organa had said. If it was true, and it seemed unlikely that it wasn't, perhaps Kylo was turning toward the Light, but without leaving the Dark side. It was all very confusing, but it was also rather late, so Rey decided to sleep on it.


	8. Darcy Saves the Day

Somehow, a skirmish had broken out between the Resistance and a small fleet of the First Order ships. The Rebels were scrambling around the base, trying their hardest to help out Commander Dameron's fleet, and they were grateful the First Order hadn't seemed to think it necessary to send backup.

Rey, who was feeling a little useless, since she could do nothing from the base, was sitting in her quarters, examining her lightsaber. Suddenly, the Force bond connected, and to her surprise, she found herself aboard Kylo Ren's destroyer. This hadn't happened in quite some time, so she decided to look around instead of turning back to her room.

She stood next to a row of computers, at which sat men and women, looking at charts and data. Down the middle of the room, there was a sort of catwalk. The people at the computers seemed to be diligently ignoring the two men arguing on the catwalk. One was Kylo Ren, the other a red-haired man Rey soon discovered was Admiral Hux.

"You were doing nothing, Supreme Leader," Hux said in a tone of seething irritation. "You are letting the Resistance grow strong again. They are sitting on that planet, gathering their forces. You know it, and yet you do nothing!"

"And you dare oppose me?" Kylo, unlike Hux, was shouting. "You presume to go behind my back and send a fleet to attack them? What did you expect to do with a fleet? You can't attack the Resistance, at their home base, with a fleet! You ought to know this. They are at their strongest on their own planet!"

"You can send backup if the Resistance seems to be getting the upper hand," said Hux in a mockingly conciliatory tone.

Kylo, who had turned his back on Hux during his last tirade, whirled around again. Rey did not miss how Hux flinched, and had a look of surprise on his face when Kylo shouted at him.

"You think I would support this act of disobedience? I won't be sending any backup. And neither will anyone else," he added, aiming this shout at the other uniformed men standing around the room. "Am I understood?"

"Yes, Supreme Leader," they all replied.

"And as for you, Admiral Hux," Kylo spat, "I could demote you for this insubordination!"

Admiral Hux did not look as submissive and remorseful as Rey expected him to. Instead, his face was mildly smug as he answered, "I really hope you don't, Supreme Leader." The emphasis placed on the title only added to the mockery.

To her surprise, Kylo Ren didn't blow up. He just continued, "Instead, I am going to fly out and call the attack off. We can discuss future plans when I return."

With that, Kylo Ren turned, and with his cape billowing out behind him, he left a very irritated Admiral behind him. The Force bond did not allow Rey to stay in a place Kylo was not, so as the door shut behind him, the bond cut off.

Back in her room, Rey shook her head. She wanted to run out and tell everyone the battle would only be a little longer, but she couldn't without revealing that she had the Force bond with Kylo Ren. Instead, she headed for the command center to see what was going on.

Kylo Ren's destroyer couldn't have been far off, because by the time she reached the command center, his transporter had appeared on the radars. General Organa was speaking to Poe through her headset. "One small transporter just appeared on the radar," she informed him.

"That's odd," Poe answered. "One transporter couldn't do anything, and it could easily be destroyed before it reaches the fleet."

"It has a shield up," General Organa said.

"That complicates--" Poe broke off and Rey heard the sound of battle through the headset. "That complicates things," he finished, when the noise died down a bit.

"Do you think we need to focus on the transporter?" Poe asked.

"I think not," answered General Organa. Rey breathed a sigh of relief. "Except, they must have a reason for sending it. Perhaps it was a decoy, though not a very good one. But maybe it has more important business. Could you send an X-wing over to check it out?"

"We're stretched thin as it is, General." Poe said. "But if it seems necessary, I can find someone."

"General Organa?" Rey broke in.

"Yes, Rey?"

"I could take the Millinium Falcon to check it out with Chewie," she said. "That way none of our fighters have to go."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," General Organa said. "Go ahead."

Rey dashed to the hangar, in search of Chewie. When she found him, she hurried him into the Millinium Falcon, explaining as she went. "We just need to fly near enough we can take a look at the transporter," she said. "Then we can come back."

Chewie groaned.

"I know you'd like to join in, but I need your help. Then maybe General Organa will have something more exciting for you to do."

As they flew off, Rey wracked her brain, trying to think of what to do when Chewie saw that the transporter held Kylo Ren. She needed to keep the Resistance fighters from destroying that transporter, or the whole Resistance would suffer, and perhaps even be defeated. As they neared the transporter, she decided to just tell Chewie. After all, he seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for Kylo Ren. Maybe Chewie had been one of Ben Solo's babysitters.

"Chewie, I already know who's in the transporter," she said.

Chewie roared with exasperation.

"I came out because I don't want it destroyed. It's--"

At that moment, one of the First Order ships appeared out of nowhere. The transporter docked, and Rey gasped. "Oh!"

Another exasperated roar came from Chewie. Now they had also failed their mission.

"Well, that takes care of that," Rey said. "Let's go report back to General Organa. No, I'm not worried... I don't think."

When they got back to the command center, General Organa hurried up to Rey. "What happened out there? I saw that you didn't even make it very close to the transporter before it docked, and now the First Order is retreating!"

"I think... Kylo Ren pulled them out," Rey answered. It appears like the attack was done without his knowledge. We got there in time to see Kylo Ren in the transporter, though I'm, um, guessing the rest."

General Organa looked at her with an odd expression. "A bit of a power struggle in the First Order could do us well. We should look into that."

"Yes! That's a good idea, General," Rey replied.

General Organa's headset was still on, because Poe was still out making sure the First Order was really retreating. The rest of the Resistance fighters had returned. Throughout the conversation, General Organa had been speaking with Poe. Suddenly she flinched, and Rey heard an explosion through the headset.

"Oh, no, I've been hit!" Poe shouted. "I lost a wing, BB-8 can't fix it! Send backup!"

"They're on their way," General Organa said, motioning several people to get going.

Still doing his job, Poe kept shouting reports. "A transporter just left one of the ships. It's headed for me. My blasters aren't working. Trying escape maneuvers, but the transporter is in good shape. Backup might not be necessary."

As hot-headed as he was, Poe reported his imminent death relatively calmly.

Through the headset, a crash sounded. "I'm losing control, I'm not sure how much longer this will hold toge--" Another crash and the headset went silent.

General Organa turned to the screens displaying the radar. The backup had not yet reached Poe's X-wing when the transporter reached it. Soon after, the transporter began heading for the Rebel base. The other Resistance fighters were reporting, and General Organa listened attentively.

"It has a shield up, General, we don't know why it's headed for the base. We'll surround it and land with it so it can't do any harm to the base. It will have to turn off its shield when it lands."

"Don't shoot when it does," General Organa ordered.

Almost everyone in the command center headed for the hangar when the transporter neared. Its shield went down, and it landed. The door opened, and to everyone's surprise, Kylo Ren stepped out, carrying Poe.

"I believe this is yours," he stated. He laid Poe, with a bloodied forehead, down on the ground, then retreated into the transporter. It flew off, and in a moment there was a flurry of activity around Poe. It was discovered that his head was one of many injuries Poe had received.

The odd thing was, the life-threatening ones had already been cleaned and bandaged. No one could make head nor tails of the situation. When the medics checked the wounds, they found nothing wrong, and the wounds cared for expertly. They decided Kylo Ren had had a professional medic aboard the ship, and had, for no discernible reason, saved Poe's life.


	9. Lady Catherine Forbids an Alliance

As far as Rey could tell, Kylo Ren was trying to convince her that he was really changing. She didn't know if she could believe him, but everything she saw seemed to be saying that it was true.

As she'd been studying the sacred texts more and more, she found that, hidden under all the requirements for being a Jedi, and all the histories and teachings of the Force, there was an underlying theme of balance.

Rey couldn't understand why a balance of good and evil was necessary. It seemed to her that the best course would be to eradicate the Dark Side and to live in a galaxy of pure good. Though she knew that wasn't possible, it seemed like the ideal situation.

It must be that the Jedi had decided to live in peace with how the galaxy already worked, she decided. There would always be evil, so the best course of action would be to counteract the evil with good. The story of Anakin Skywalker seemed to indicate that to turn from the Dark Side to the light did not throw the Force out of balance; in fact it was a good thing.

As she was thinking, the Force bond connected. Kylo stood before her, his eyes closed. Rey felt an unusual desire to communicate with him instead of ignoring him. She didn't want to startle him, though, so she waited for him to open his eyes.

"Hello, Rey," he said. Of course, she had forgotten he could sense her through the Force.

"Hello, Ben," she replied.

His eyes opened and he looked at her with a hint of surprise. "It's been a while since you called me that."

"I hope it fits again. I wanted to thank you, for calling off the attack, and saving Poe's life."

"I did it for you," he said in a tone deceivingly careless.

"Only?"

He didn't answer.

"What were you doing just now, when the bond connected?"

"Meditating on the Force. It brings me in harmony with it, and helps me to be able to let it guide me."

"Someone once told me that reading the sacred texts would do that."

"That is another way. I don't have access to it, though."

On an impulse, Rey got up and opened the chest in the corner of her room. Nestled among her other belongings were the books she'd stolen from the ancient tree on Luke's island. "Would you like to look at them?"

Kylo Ren almost smiled. "So you were lying," he said. "I would love to look at them."

Rey brought the stack over to him, and they each picked up a book to study.

They had been sitting together silently reading for almost an hour when a knock sounded on the door. Rey stood up to open the door, and there stood General Organa.

"I need to speak with you. May I come in?"

"Of course," Rey answered. She turned to pick up the books scattered on her floor, assuming the Force bond had ended. She didn't notice that Kylo Ren was still in her room, and had merely moved to a darker corner.

When General Organa had seated herself, Rey stood before her expectantly.

"I'll get right to the point," General Organa said. "There are rumors starting to circulate about you, which I've come to make sure are false."

"What sort of rumors?" Rey asked.

"Certain people are saying that you are in contact with the First Order. To be specific, they say that you often speak with the Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren. Even more alarmingly, there are rumors that you are hoping to make an alliance with him, that perhaps you are attracted to him. I know it must not be true, but I have come to make sure of it."

Rey began to feel her face heat up with shock and disdain, and it must be admitted, with the truth of the statement. "If you knew it wasn't true, why did you take the trouble to come speak with me? What could you gain?"

"Assurance. And the hope that such rumors could be put to rest as quickly and quietly as possible."

"Wouldn't your confronting me about it just serve to make the rumors more believable, if there are such rumors?"

"You have not heard them?"

"I haven't heard anything of the sort."

"And can you tell me certainly that you have no contact with the First Order?"

"Why should I have contact with them?"

"Answer me directly, Rey. I will not put up with a traitor. Are you in some sort of partnership with Kylo Ren?"

"You yourself say it cannot be! But if it were true, that Kylo Ren has asked me to make an alliance, would it be wrong to accept? The Force is about balance. We should not try to kill what we hate, but save what we love!"

General Organa remained silent. Rey couldn't tell if it was from horror or agreement.

"Would it be wrong to try to help Kylo Ren return to the Light?"

"An alliance between the First Order and the Resistance would be ludicrous - - impossible. It would go against the very framework of the galaxy!"

"If the First Order allows such an alliance, what can you have against it?"

"It is too dangerous for us in our position. We are small, weakened from fighting the First Order, and to put ourselves into the hands of the First Order would be a grave mistake."

"We're weakened from fighting the First Order. Maybe it's time for a new tactic."

General Organa sighed. "Tell me once and for all, there is no alliance between you and Kylo Ren."

"There is not," said Rey, unwilling to push her point too far.

"And promise me there never will be," continued Leia.

"I won't promise."

General Organa looked up in surprise. "You will not promise? Do you know that puts you in the position of traitor to our cause?"

"I realise that you may not trust me so fully anymore. But I cannot see what the future holds, and I cannot promise something like that."

"Do you have no regard for the Resistance? Don't you care for the cause your friends are dedicated to?"

Rey looked down, saddened by the accusation. "It is because I care for the cause, that I don't promise," she said.

"Then you are determined to do it?"

"I didn't say that."

"So you refuse to listen to me. You refuse to obey the claims of duty, honor, and gratitude. You are determined to ruin the Resistance, and to open us to the mercy of the First Order."

"I am not ignoring my duty. Nor am I opening the Resistance in any way to the First Order. My allegiance is with the Resistance, first and foremost. You need not worry that I will betray us to those opposed to our cause. I have not yet decided that Kylo Ren is in opposition to us, and I hope that he will yet return."

General Organa rose from her seat. "I leave now. Don't be surprised if we no longer trust you."

The door shut behind Leia, and Rey sank into her seat, feeling ready to cry.


	10. Darcy's Second Proposal

After a moment, Rey sat up. Her eyes were still dry, though the conversation had left her a little exhausted. She her chair, intending to flop into bed and rest, but in the corner of her room still stood Kylo Ren.

She yelped and exclaimed, "You're still here?"

"I'm still here," Kylo Ren replied with a smile.

Trying to remember what all she had said during her conversation with General Organa, Rey could only sit in embarrassed silence.

"When I said I called off the attack and saved Poe for you, it was true. You are the reason I feel led back to the light."

This was an entirely unexpected announcement to Rey.

"I know you won't toy with my feelings. If you still feel the same as you did when I first told you of my feelings for you, tell me now. I only wish to tell you that my feelings have not changed, I still love you. If you still feel the same, though, I won't ever bring it up again."

Rey looked at her hands in embarrassment, and said in a quiet tone, "I don't feel the same."

With as much eloquence as anyone declaring their love could be expected to have, Rey told him how her feelings had changed, and how she was quite glad to accept his proposal this time. Kylo Ren wasn't able to express his happiness through words, though he tried, but Rey understood the change in his expression and manner enough to know that he had finally found what he had been looking for.

When a transporter from the First Order arrived at the Rebel base, Rey was at the hangar to meet it. So were almost all the Resistance fighters, because they didn't trust her or their transporter. When Kylo Ren stepped out, only General Organa's orders kept them from shooting.

Rey shouted, "Ben!" She ran toward him, and that confirmed all the fighters' suspicions.

With blasters pointed at their backs, the two were escorted to General Organa, who took in the scene with an air of resignation.

"What is going on?" she asked.

Ben stepped forward and bowed his head. "I've come to ask your forgiveness, Mother."

Leia stepped toward him, and Finn shouted, "NO!"

That didn't stop the reunion. To everyone's surprise, Kylo Ren didn't kill General Organa when she stepped forward to embrace him. Instead, he hugged her back.

(I don't even know where this is going; I was trying to get to where balance to the Force comes through Rey and Kylo but that is just not working and it's turning into a weird dramatic soap opera. I wrote this for the Darcy-style proposals anyway, so I succeeded in my goal. Feel free to write your own version bc I really want to read one that comes together better than mine ended up lol)


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